Spread The Word!

We Need Ontario to step up NOW!

My son just turned 18. He should be ready to graduate and go off to college or university. Maybe get a job; a car; a girlfriend. My son will never do that. My son has Down Syndrome, Epilepsy and a severe developmental delay. He is incontinent, he is non-verbal, he has an eating disorder, he has had a double corneal transplant. My son is disabled. Disabled is a very broad term. So broad in fact that there are 120,000 Ontarians with a developmental disability. 20,000 of those are still waiting for supports and services, and funding. My son will not be able to live in a group home or supported living center. He needs 1:1, 24/7 support. The only place he will get it is at home being cared for by his family. We have already adjusted our lives for 18 years. But he will finish school soon, and then what? He is on the "needs list", with 8000 other people. The lack of spaces in these programs mean someone will have to die or move to have a spot come up.
We are urging the Ontario government to invest $64 million into supports and services to alleviate added stress on health and long-term care systems. I need signatures to bring to my MPP and say "We need Ontario to step up now!"